Article

Quinn Emmanuel expands Asia arbitration practice with key hire

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

John Rhie, a former senior attorney at Kim & Chang, has joined the Los Angeles office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan where he chairs the firm’s Asia international arbitration practice.

He specialises in international commercial arbitration and investment treaty arbitration and also acts as counsel in arbitrations under most arbitral institutions as well as ad hoc arbitrations around the world.

Quinn Emanuel has announced plans open an office in the special administrative region of China where Rhie will become the office managing partner alongside a senior partner from the firm’s New York office.

Rhie lists Quinn Emanuel’s “unrivalled reputation in litigation” and its “disputes only model” as some of the reasons he was drawn to the firm:

“I had a wonderful time at Kim & Chang and it is difficult to part with my colleagues and friends. However, it was impossible not to accept this new and exciting challenge to help build the Asia arbitration practice or the leading litigation firm in the world,” he says.

Founding partner John Quinn suggests that the Asian arbitration practice needed the perfect leadership figure for the role.

“John’s joining us is the culmination of an investigation and sifting of candidates that we have conducted over several years,” he says. “He was our number one choice -a perfect fit for our international arbitration platform and our Asia strategy in particular.”

Rhie is featured in The International Who’s Who of Commercial Arbitration.

Nominees have been selected based upon comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practice lawyers worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.